Cruise ship docks early in St. John’s after medical emergency

A cruise ship docked in St. John’s ahead of schedule after a medical emergency near Greenland.

The Astor sails into St. John’s harbour Monday evening with 548 passengers and 300 crew members. The cruise ship is on a 37-day cruise from Bremerhaven, Greenland, to Hamburg, Germany and will stop at many Canadian port destinations. — Photo by Rhonda Hayward/The Telegram

The Astor, originally due to arrive in St. John’s Tuesday at 7 a.m., docked Monday evening instead.

The ship is on a 37-day cruise from Greenland to Germany, with several Canadian and Newfoundland and Labrador ports of call, including St. John’s, Corner Brook and L’Anse aux Meadows.

A spokeswoman for the City of St. John’s, when asked by The Telegram the reason for the early arrival, said via email that the ship “had a medical emergency on board.”

The ship’s representative in St. John’s, Roger Tinkham, said Monday was that a passenger had suffered internal bleeding, but weather conditions prevented the ship from docking in Greenland.

“Medevac from Greenland came out to the ship, took the passenger … and medevaced them away,” he said.

“So instead of going into Greenland, they altered their course and are coming direct to St. John’s.”

The ship — with 548 passengers and about 300 crew — is still scheduled to leave at its planned departure time of 7 p.m. today.

The Astor sails into St. John’s harbour Monday evening with 548 passengers and 300 crew members. The cruise ship is on a 37-day cruise from Bremerhaven, Greenland, to Hamburg, Germany and will stop at many Canadian port destinations. — Photo by Rhonda Hayward/The Telegram